Celeb chef’s horror as restaurant targeted

Top Aussie chef and former MasterChef guest judge Matt Moran has spoken out about an “incredibly disappointing” attack on his famed Sydney restaurant after the premises and multiple cars were vandalised with anti-Israel graffiti overnight.

Emergency services were called to a car alight on Wellington Street in Woollahra, a prominent Jewish area in Sydney’s East, about 12.35am on Thursday and found up to a dozen cars graffitied with anti-Israel messages.

Multiple cars were covered in white spray paint that read “f**k Israel”, causing an estimated $70,000 of damage.

Mr Moran’s popular restaurant Chiswick as well as the door of a unit complex on Ocean Street had also been graffitied in the attack.

“F**k Israel” was scrawled across the widows of the restaurant in white spray paint, while other graffiti warned of “PKK coming” – a possible reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia.

Mr Moran told The Australian: “It’s incredibly disappointing to see this amount of vandalism – there’s no place for it in our community.”

He said the restaurant had been cleaned and was open for business

‘Disgusting’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the “disgusting” and “deeply troubling” attack.

“There is no place for anti-Semitism in Australia,” Mr Albanese said.

“Conflict overseas cannot be made a platform for prejudice at home. I have trust in our law enforcement agencies to deal with this.”

In a statement on social media, Premier Chris Minns labelled the incident “absolutely deplorable”.

“It is unacceptable, unAustralian, and it will not be tolerated,” Mr Minns wrote on X.

“The NSW Police have stood up Strike Force Mylor to investigate those who participated in this disgraceful behaviour.”

Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO of the executive council of Australian Jewry, said the anti-Israel movement has been growing “progressively more extreme, more violent and more indifferent to who it harms”.

“It wasn’t stopped at the Opera House steps. It wasn’t stopped at the pro-Hamas encampments. And it wasn’t stopped at the hate preachers,” he said.

“Now Australians are waking up to find their property destroyed and their suburbs violated.”

In a statement on X, the Embassy of Israel in Australia said it was “appalled by the antisemitic attack in Sydney last night”.

“Words are no longer enough — it’s time for action,” the post continued.

“We stand with the Jewish community and call for immediate measures to protect and uphold the rights and safety of all citizens.”

Police have established crime scenes, and anyone who has knowledge of the incidents, or who was in the area at the time, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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